President Donald Trump has a new pitch for voters ahead of November's midterms: reelect Republicans to Congress, and he'll cut every adult American a $5,000 check. Call it the "Trump dividend."

Speaking Wednesday at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Trump tied the payout directly to his party's performance at the ballot box. "Here is my promise: if the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them … I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000," he said.

The price tag is not small. A Reuters report estimated the pledge could cost about $1.35 trillion.

Trump framed the idea as a reward for a strong economy, telling the crowd it was possible "because we've done so well and because our country is making so much money." The Associated Press noted that he likened the concept to companies paying dividends to their shareholders.

There is a catch, at least in theory: recipients would have to spend the money at home. "We don't want you going to Canada to spend the money," Trump said, adding that Americans should not take it to China or Germany either. Reuters reported that he offered no detailed mechanism for enforcing that restriction.

The Fine Print: Congress Still Has to Say Yes

The biggest obstacle is not public opinion but the legislative process. Congress would have to authorize the payments, according to AP. The Constitution's Appropriations Clause generally requires federal expenditures to be authorized by law, which makes congressional action a major hurdle for Trump's proposal.

This Isn't the First Dividend Idea

Trump has floated cash dividends before. Last year, he proposed at least $2,000 per person from tariff revenue, initially excluding high-income Americans. He later said he believed congressional approval was unnecessary.

That claim ran into some reality. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett subsequently said Congress ultimately determines how federal revenues are spent and suggested the earlier payments would require legislation. Previous analysis of Trump's proposal also found the proposed $2,000 checks could substantially exceed tariff revenue.

AP reported that Vice President JD Vance later suggested the new $5,000 benefit might exclude wealthy Americans and could use tariff revenue, though the administration has not released a formal funding plan.